


Of all the people, why him?

by sandsbeneaththedesert



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Rigel Black Chronicles
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Inspired by The Rigel Black Chronicles, marriage law
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:01:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29460192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandsbeneaththedesert/pseuds/sandsbeneaththedesert
Summary: Harriet Potter was living a quiet, normal, life. Until she was suddenly married to Draco Malfoy. It went downhill from there.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53





	Of all the people, why him?

Harry’s life, in her opinion, was close to perfect. Every morning, she’d rise at dawn to do her run, then head over to Remus’ place for some quick weight training. Mornings she spent brewing, sometimes at home but more often at the Potions Guild where she could pester Master Thompson or Caleum Lestrange. She’d grab lunch with Leo. Afterwards, they duelled, and with increasing frequency Harry had been able to put him in the dust. Afternoons, she worked, filling orders for Burke. 

Sometimes, Lily nagged. “Don’t you want to make more friends? Do more things? When I was your age I travelled, or went to every concert I could afford!”

James occasionally put in his two cents. “You got Outstandings on every NEWT you took - all eight! You sure, fawn, that potions is all you want to do?”

At least Archie left her alone. Most of his time was filled with his new job at the Maywell Clinic, side by side with Hermione. He’d been lucky to secure a job in Britain; even three years after the Rigel Black scandal, St Mungo’s wouldn’t touch him. 

As Harry chopped and stirred in her lab in Potter Place, she wondered what her old Slytherin friends were up to, now they’d finally finished school. Would Pansy be engaged? Would Draco be entering politics? A wave of nostalgia caused her throat to clog, and she nearly choked.

Harry swore under her breath. In her distraction, she’d overstirred the Blood Replenisher, rendering the entire thing unusable. She couldn’t even recall the last time she’d screwed up a potion to this extent. 

“Harry!” Archie bounded into her lab, waving a newspaper in some distress. “This is bad. This is really, really bad.” He wore a stunned mullet expression and his normally perfect Black hair nearly stood on end. 

“It can’t be that bad,” Harry said reasonably, taking a moment to Vanish her potion. Archie had an unfortunate tendency to overreact, she mused, as she took her cauldron over to the sink and dumped it in unceremoniously. She would have started scrubbing if Archie hadn’t impatiently shoved the paper in her face.

“The marriage law, it’s back,” Archie said, breathing hard. “And worse. So much worse. Harry, I don’t know what we’re going to do. I really don’t. I suppose fleeing the country is an option… or faking our deaths. Yes, I think I’m onto something. Hermione can help us with our teeth dental records. Or is that only a Muggle thing?”

Harry ignored Archie’s blathering and simply read. 

NEW MARRIAGE LAW INTRODUCED OVERNIGHT

By Rita Skeeter

As my readers well know, the S.O.W. party’s groundbreaking marriage law failed to pass legislation three years ago. The entire wizarding community believed the S.O.W. party had focused their attention on other matters, and dismissed it entirely from their minds. 

Yet the law passed last night, in a special vote where it passed committee and then was immediately presented to the full Wizengamot. All halfbloods in magical Britain are required to marry a pureblood. Additionally, a select number of halfbloods have already been assigned spouses by the S.O.W. party and are expected to marry or risk Azkaban.

“This change was introduced based on feedback from the pureblood community. They felt it was important to integrate halfbloods as quickly as possible, to bring about a peaceful magical society and foster rapid population growth,” Avery disclosed to the Daily Prophet. 

Harry froze, blood pounding in her ears. Pre-assigned spouses? Goddess willing, she wasn’t on that list. She prayed to all the gods she could think of, even Kyproith. After a long moment of silence, she croaked out, “Archie? Do you… have the list?”

“Turn the page,” Archie said miserably. 

And there it was, next to her own name, in black and white. 

Draco Malfoy.


End file.
